Mobile Charger Settings on 120V

[raharris]

Why not just get a 240v outlet added? It charges 10 times faster!

See prior post - the property management company won't allow me to install it - even using the original electrician they used for the construction - and the same company that are using at their new development - at which they are having 240v in the garage. Go figure...

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[daveo4EV]

It’s a 20A breaker; would it be wrong to assume that the cable must be at least greater than the breaker right? Otherwise the wire could potentially fry before the break tripped.

Just double checked, there are other things connected:

LiftMaster : 6A
CTek trickle charger: .6Arms

So running at 10A would give me a 16.6 at peak which should see me safely under the 20A. In theory could go to 12A and be under the 18.6.

Thoughts?

you are good amps wise - the Liftmaster may be 6 amps - but it’s a sort “burst” of power - not continuous - so even at 12 amps + 6 amps for what 45 seconds while the motor is engaged? that’s 18 amps worse case for 1 or 2 min - not a concern with 20 amp breaker and hopefully the appropriate gauge wire for 20 amps…which is 12 gauge wire.

the concern isn’t not short “burst” loads - it’s continuous loads - for continuous loads you have to derate the breaker by 20% - so 20 amps * 80% = 16 amps maximum load _CONTINUOUS_ - continuous is defined as “will run at that rate for 2 or more hours“ - EV chargers do run for more than 2 hours so that is where the 80%/breaker rule comes from

I’d still look into a 240V circuit - you can install a NEMA 6-20 plug and then get a 6-20 to 5-15 adatper - and you’re PMC+/PMCC will charge the EV twice as fast - EV chargers just use what ever voltage they are presented - if you present them with 240V they will use 240V - if you give them 120V they will use 120V

the garage door motor probably doesn’t care (but check before making the swap)

and the 3rd outlet (according to you) could also be swapped to a 6-20 outlet to avoid plugging in anything that doesn’t support 240V…

swap the breaker
swap 2 plugs from 5-20 plugs to 6-20 plugs
check the garage door and see if it’s universal power (120V or 240V)

would be as easy gig and you’d charge twice as fast.

but probably better to leave it all alone.

but 20 amp circuit requires 12 gauge wire - if they installed 10 gauge wire you can upgrade to 30 amp breaker and make appropriate plug swaps and then charge even fast

pulling new wire is the expense and cost, swapping plugs and breakers is pretty easy if the wire gauge is appropriate.

 

[raharris]

you are good amps wise - the Liftmaster may be 6 amps - but it’s a sort “burst” of power - not continuous - so even at 12 amps + 6 amps for what 45 seconds while the motor is engaged? that’s 18 amps worse case for 1 or 2 min - not a concern with 20 amp breaker and hopefully the appropriate gauge wire for 20 amps…which is 12 gauge wire.

the concern isn’t not short “burst” loads - it’s continuous loads - for continuous loads you have to derate the breaker by 20% - so 20 amps * 80% = 16 amps maximum load _CONTINUOUS_ - continuous is defined as “will run at that rate for 2 or more hours“ - EV chargers do run for more than 2 hours so that is where the 80%/breaker rule comes from

I’d still look into a 240V circuit - you can install a NEMA 6-20 plug and then get a 6-20 to 5-15 adatper - and you’re PMC+/PMCC will charge the EV twice as fast - EV chargers just use what ever voltage they are presented - if you present them with 240V they will use 240V - if you give them 120V they will use 120V

the garage door motor probably doesn’t care (but check before making the swap)

and the 3rd outlet (according to you) could also be swapped to a 6-20 outlet to avoid plugging in anything that doesn’t support 240V…

swap the breaker
swap 2 plugs from 5-20 plugs to 6-20 plugs
check the garage door and see if it’s universal power (120V or 240V)

would be as easy gig and you’d charge twice as fast.

but probably better to leave it all alone.

but 20 amp circuit requires 12 gauge wire - if they installed 10 gauge wire you can upgrade to 30 amp breaker and make appropriate plug swaps and then charge even fast

pulling new wire is the expense and cost, swapping plugs and breakers is pretty easy if the wire gauge is appropriate.

Thank you for the detailed analysis!

From reading, it appears that a 20A breaker has to be paired with at least 10 AWG - so I should be good to run anywhere between 8A-12A.

Unfortunately the cable run from the breaker box to the garage is a single circuit and the door opener is not auto-ranging so I can't upgrade the garage circuit to 240V.

At 12A, I'll be doing 50% better than the standard 8A. I believe that would mean I could charge from 20-30% to 85% in under 48 hours? This really isn't a big deal for me, it'll stop the Taycan grabbing all of the driving lime light Dry/warm days I'll be taking the Cayman anyway

I have a short commute (8 miles each way); but a Porsche rep at a recent event said that they don't recommend charging everyday and to let it drop if possible and then charge back up.

Opinions? Before that suggestion, I intended to plug in every day to just replenish what I had used that day.

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